1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antibodies, including specified portions or variants, specific for at least one CD22 protein or fragment thereof, as well as nucleic acids encoding such anti-CD22 antibodies, complementary nucleic acids, vectors, host cells, and methods of making and using thereof, including therapeutic formulations, administration and devices.
2. Related Art
CD22 is a member of the Siglec, sialic acid binding receptor protein superfamily, and is produced by developing B cells. In vivo, B cells represent the main sources of CD22. Other cells such as lymphoma, leukemic and lymphocytic B cells also produce CD22. CD22 has been implicated as a prognostic factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and both acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemias cancer progression. CD22 production can be regulated by B-cell differentiation processes in the germinal centers of lymph nodes.
CD22 ligands, sialic-acid containing extracellular surface molecules, can bind to the CD22 receptor expressed on developing B cells during the humoral immune responses. The CD22 receptor has immunoglobin-like repeat sequences that are responsible for CD22-ligand binding.
There are at least two major biological functions of CD22: CD22 can interact with the B cell receptor complex (BCR) to stimulate cellular signaling to promote B cell differentiation and production of immunoglobulins, and can also interact with the BCR to inhibit cellular signaling and cell growth and differentiation. Binding of the murine monoclonal anti-CD22 antibody stimulates CD22 tyrosine phosphorylation and negatively regulates mitogenic signal transduction (Carnahan et al., Cancer Res Sep. 1, 2003 9; 3982s)
There is a need to provide high affinity, neutralizing chimeric or human antibodies to CD22 or fragments thereof for use in preventing, treating, ameliorating, or diagnosing conditions related to lymphoma, acute and chronic leukemias and other B-cell dysplasias and B-cell dependent autoimmune diseases.